Safco Corporation

Saflo Corporation

Richard F Wharton

Power supply for a wireless car phone

Electrical adapter plug

An electrical receptacle which has a plastic housing defining a socket lined by a tubular sleeve contact for receiving a conventional electrical adapter plug. The adapter plug has a body supporting a contact tip which is either retractable or non-retractable. This contact tip projects from an end of the adapter-plug body to mate with a central contact located at one end of the receptacle socket. The adapter plug also has another contact which projects from the periphery of the adapter-plug body to mate with the sleeve contact of the receptacle. The central contact of the receptacle is carried on a support fixed to the housing which communicates with the receptacle socket to establish electrical circuit connection with the adapter-plug contact tip in response to the insertion of the adapter plug into the socket. The central contact is spring-loaded and movable relative to its support so as to provide a retracting movement in response to the force applied by an adapter-plug contact tip. The spring-loaded retracting action of the central contact establishes and maintains a reliable circuit connection particularly with respect to an adapter plug which has a fixed contact tip. The retracting movement of the central contact assumes a reliable electrical connection between an adapter plug inserted in the receptacle in response to vibration of either or both the adapter plug and the receptacle.

Electrical receptacle

An electrical offset adapter plug for accessing an electrically powered receptacle housed within an ash tray compartment having a restricted path by which the adapter plug is inserted into the receptacle. The offset plug comprising a composite structure including a first adapter-plug section having a generally tubular body which is relatively longer than its tubular diameter and which is adapted for insertion into the receptacle, a second enclosure section defining an internal chamber for housing optional electrical components and serving also as a gripping handle for manual insertion of the offset adapter plug into the receptacle, and a third section defining an offset elbow joining the adapter-plug section to the enclosure section with the enclosure section being disposed substantially offset relative to both the length and tubular diameter of the adapter-plug section. The optional electrical components may be an electrical circuit board for power conversion, or alternatively, one or more female auxiliary adapter-plug receptacles.

Electrical offset adapter plug

Automatically actuated electrical switch for use with an automobile

An electrical adapter plug having a body insertable into a mating socket sleeve of a vehicle lighter receptacle. The plug has a pair of ideally located circumferentially-spaced, retractable leaf-spring contacts projecting beyond the periphery of the plug body to establish improved retention and electrical contact between the adapter plug and the receptacle. The two contacts are preferably angularly spaced on the periphery of the plug at about 90.degree. and associated with projecting means located on the periphery of the plug body generally opposite the pair of contacts symetrically disposed on or about a line which bisects the space angle between the two contacts. An adapter plug fuse is retained in a socket defined by a fuse insert housed within a central cavity formed by the adapter plug. This fuse insert assists in holding two body halves together and also anchors the long leaf-spring contacts. The fuse insert enables the adapter plug body to be held together by a single fastening screw and locking fingers rather than cement, glue or welding. This screw and finger design permits repair of a defective plug which is not possible with cemented, glued or welded adapter-plug body sections.

Panel electrical connector

An electrical adapter plug having a body insertable into a mating socket sleeve of a vehicle lighter receptacle. The plug features a pair of ideally located circumferentially-spaced, retractable contacts projecting beyond the periphery of the plug body to establish improved retention and electrical contact between the adapter plug and the receptacle. The two contacts are preferably angularly spaced on the periphery of the plug in the range of about 20.degree. to 150.degree.. Means are located on the periphery of the plug body generally opposite the pair of contacts symmetrically disposed on or about a line which bisects the space angle between the two contacts. Three different embodiments of these means are shown, namely, a groove, a flat surface, and an elongated deformation. All of these embodiments cooperate with the spaced contacts to improve retention.

Growing community of inventors

Glenview, IL, United States of America

Richard F Wharton